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Rosie Patella Again ???

Hi

Decided to take them all out just before the rain came and at the start of the walk Rosie started limping then started carrying
her left rear leg .Immediately I thought back to Dec 2010 when we almost had her patella operation but put it off with surgeons
agreement ,has it come back again ,any thoughts or am I just thinking the worst .I sent Luke with Rosie back to the car while
the other girls had a quick walk ,I phoned AXA and advised them so no problem there and since we are home i have carried her
about so no jumps ,stairs or walks and am trying to see Francois at C/Gates on monday .I have loxicom and gabapentin in shall
I give either or none am just trying to keep her relaxed and calm .

Advice pls .

I was at C/Gates only last night with Daisy so I hope these events dont come in threes .

I'm sorry, I hope she just sprained it a little and with rest she will be okay. My boston terrier has a grade 1 slipping patella. When it goes out she does this weird kick thing with her leg and it pops back in. She is very active so I imagine we will have to do the operation some day when she is older.

My boston terrier has a grade 1 slipping patella. When it goes out she does this weird kick thing with her leg and it pops back in.

By definition, what you describe could not be a grade I luxation but is a grade II luxation. Grade I will never luxate spontaneously but will only luxate by manual manipulation and will automatically return to normal position when released without the dog doing anything.

Grade I - the patella can be manually luxated but is reduced (returns to the normal position) when released

Grade II - the patella can be manually luxated or it can spontaneously luxate with flexion of the stifle joint. The patella remains luxated until it is manually reduced or when the animal extends the joint (the "weird kick thing" that you describe) and derotates the tibia in the opposite direction of luxation

Grade III - the patella remains luxated most of the time but can be manually reduced with the stifle joint in extension. Flexion and extension of the stifle results in reluxation of the patella

Grade IV - the patella is permanently luxated and cannot be manually repositioned. There may be up to 90° of rotation of the proximal tibial plateau. The femoral trochlear groove is shallow or absent, and there is displacement of the quadriceps muscle group in the direction of luxation.

Both of my current Cavaliers have grade I luxations in one leg only. They have never limped (and Tucker is now 10 years old) and have never had their knees luxate spontaneously. The only reason I know about the situation is because of vet exams.

Brian, it sounds as if you might want to revisit the decision on surgery since you've seen spontaneous limping and that classic lifted leg. You wouldn't want to wait until she is older when surgery and recovery would be more difficult. I personally would not give any pain meds at this point.

Thanks for the advice re the pain meds .When I saw her limp and lift her leg today my first thought was why didn't we do the op two years ago it would of all been done by now ,but thinking
back she was all booked in and on the day of the op Ben and I had another look and I suppose then with her being borderline it was my fear of the unknown and not wanting her to be hurt that
we agreed to defer for a bit and watch her ,but of course somthing like this ever gets better.So I shall phone the hospital and try and see the surgeon this Monday and then decide to either
operate ASAP or leave it till just before Xmas when I will be on hols for two weeks then able to give her 24 hour care .I am faily fastidious with papers so I have all her old reports to look back on .

I also have to consider her other leg as that was also a Grade 11 + but I don't think I would have them done together but we shall take surgeons advice and then decide which way to go ,its the
same surgeon who removed Daisy's lump in the summer so I know him t be a good person and surgeon and have utmost faith in him .

I wonder if Chestergates do bed and breakfast I shall have to ask .Thanks agin .

Best Wishes

PS I have put her fabric crate up alongside my bed so she has her own space to relax in and I can keep an eye on her .

Hi I am puzzled ,Sabby's earlier comment about lifting her leg had me thinking as just before we went out Rosie was furiously chewing that foot and just now in her crate she tried to do the same so I lifted her out put her on her back and tried to exeamine the foot but she squirmed like mad and yelped as soon as I touched it ,so is it the foot giving the problem ? and should I try and see the emergency vet tomorrow to investigate .I stroked around her knee applied a tiny bit of pressure around the knee and no reaction ,thoughts pls have I jumped to a wrong conclusion .

I would bathe the affected foot in a saline solution, dry it gently with lots of kitchen paper, then look carefully between the toes for any kind of abrasion, cut or small twig that may be lodged between the toes. Trees are still dropping their leaves, and of course twigs come down with them. Some have sharp edges and it could be that Rosie has a painful sliver of wood which is causing her pain.

If everything looks and feels clear I would contact the emergency vet for advice tomorrow.

Brian-sounds like it might be the foot. I hope she gets feeling better.

Pat-thanks for the info. I am confused as the vet graded the knee, I assume the knee gets worse with age so perhaps it is a grade 2 now? My boston rarely does it maybe four times in the last year. It is only one knee.